Healthy One-Pan Turkish Swiss Chard Recipe

What does Swiss Chard Taste Like?

If you’re new to cooking with Swiss chard, you’re in for a treat. This leafy green is nutritionally dense and one of the most versatile vegetables in the Mediterranean diet, with a lightly bitter flavor profile that sets it apart.

Swiss chard has a mild, earthy flavor. The leaves are heartier than spinach, but not as tough as kale. The stalks are crunchy. The leaves have a hint of bitterness, but when cooked, it mellows significantly, becoming silky and savory.

Types of Swiss Chard

While you might see several names at the grocery store or farmers’ market, they are mostly variations of the same plant and can be used interchangeably in this recipe.

• Rainbow Chard: A mix of plants with vibrant red, pink, yellow, and orange stems. It’s the most visually stunning variety. The colors are muted once cooked.
• Fordhook Giant: Known for its thick white stalks and crinkled green leaves.
• Rhubarb Chard: Features deep red stalks that look similar to rhubarb.

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Turkish Swiss Chard with Tomato and Rice (Zeytinyağlı Pazı)

This Swiss chard recipe is a zeytinyağlı dish, a beloved category of Turkish cooking where vegetables cook gently in good olive oil until they become something far greater than the sum of their parts.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Turkish

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 202.9kcal

Author Ozlem Warren

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 red chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (use more if you like it spicy)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1 pound Swiss chard, cleaned, halved lengthways and roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup rice, rinsed
• 2 cups hot water
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Plain yogurt, to serve (optional)

Instructions

• Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide saucepan over a medium–high heat, add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until starting to soften. Add the chile, garlic, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes to the pan, combine well and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the Swiss chard. Stir in the chopped chard and gently combine and wilt over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes. Add the rinsed rice and combine well.
• Braise. Add the hot water, season with a good pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon each) salt and pepper, give it a good stir, then cover and cook for 20–25 minutes over a medium-low heat until the rice and vegetables are cooked and tender.
• Finish and serve. Turn the heat off and leave to rest for 10 minutes, covered. Serve the vegetables and cooking juices with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over top.

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil used in this recipe.
• Substitutions: 
  • Use other greens: Spinach, kale, beet greens, or large leafy collard greens all work in place of chard. I sometimes like to add a few scallions and their greens, too.
  • Use other grains: Substitute rice with coarse bulgur or quinoa. They will add wholesomeness and nutty flavor to the dish. 
  • Use fresh tomatoes: Instead of a can of chopped tomatoes, you can use fresh, ripe tomatoes when they’re in season. As they may not have the same intense tomato flavor as in canned tomatoes, you may need to add another tablespoon of tomato paste.

Nutrition

Calories: 202.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4.8g | Fat: 7.5g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.2g | Sodium: 287.2mg | Potassium: 663.1mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 4.5g | Vitamin A: 7105.2IU | Vitamin C: 47.6mg | Calcium: 94.4mg | Iron: 4mg

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The Lamb Meatball Recipe that Reminds Me of Home

Growing up in Egypt, my family cooked with lamb regularly, and we know a few secrets on how to make lamb both flavorful and juicy.

Traditional lamb meatballs often struggle with two things: gamey undertones and a dry, dense texture. My recipe solves both issues by nestling the meatballs into a simple 3-ingredient onion sauce. As the meatballs bake, they absorb the jammy sweetness of the onions, which balances the richness of the lamb and keeps the meatballs tender.

The secret seasoning is Baharat, a Middle Eastern spice blend that balances warm, sweet, and savory spices. It includes ingredients like black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. I use this blend frequently in my recipes like Baharat Baked Chicken Thighs and my Mediterranean Ground Beef and Cabbage skillet.

For this meatball recipe, ground lamb and lots of garlic play with warming spices and sweet caramelized onions to create a dish that fires on all flavor cylinders. I love how the spices, onion sauce, and meatballs showcase this dance between sweet and savory that we frequently do in Mediterranean kitchens.

In other words, this is not your run-of-the-mill meatball recipe! These meatballs are perfect served over basmati rice, piled onto or stuffed into pita, or as part of a mezze platter.

Key Ingredients

These meatballs use common ingredients that can be easily found at your local grocery store. The only exception being the Baharat spice, which you can pick up in our shop, certain grocery stores, or at your local Middle Eastern market. 

• 80/20 Ground Lamb: For the juiciest results, stick to a 20% fat ratio. Fat has two functions in this meatball recipe. First, helps carry flavor, and second, it keeps the meat moist so you never end up with a dry meatball. If you don’t like lamb, you can swap in ground beef for this recipe.
• Sliced Yellow Onions (The Sauce Base): Yellow onions are slighlty sweeter than their white or red counterparts due to a higher sugar content, which makes them the best choice for creating the caramelized sauce.
• Grated Onion: I grate onion directly into the lamb mixture to help season the meat and add additional moisture.
• Breadcrumbs: While any unseasoned breadcrumbs you have on hand will do, fine, dry breadcrumbs tend to make the most uniform texture. I try to avoid panko crumbs because they are too large.
• Baharat Spice Blend: This is the “soul” of the dish. Baharat is a Middle Eastern Spice blend that combines a number of warming spices. It’s worth keeping in your spice drawer, but if you don’t have it, use the combination of spices from my Kofta Kebab recipe.
• Ground cardamom: Peppery and slightly sweet, cardamom adds another layer of complexity to these meatballs. If you’re curious about the sweet and savory ways to use cardamom, read my article on 11 Genius Ways to Use Cardamom.

How to Make Lamb Meatballs 

This meatball recipe is easy to make; just give yourself a little time to get the onions nice and golden brown. While the recipe says it takes 55 minutes to make, 30 minutes is hands-off while the meatballs finish cooking in the oven. Follow my step-by-step guide below to cook the juiciest, most flavorful lamb meatballs with just a few simple ingredients. 

• Get ready: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Make sure you have all your ingredients prepared, including the serving of Basmati Rice or Rice with Vermicelli. 
• Caramelize the sliced onions: In a large oven-safe pan set over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once shimmering, add sliced onion rings from 3 medium yellow onions and season with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have fully softened and turned a deep golden brown, 20-30 minutes. 
• Make the meatballs: While the onions cook, make the meatballs. Into a large mixing bowl, grate one small yellow onion and add it to 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup chopped parsley, 1 egg, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons Baharat, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. Add a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and mix to combine. Take handfuls of the meat mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) and form them into meatballs. You should end up with about 18-20 meatballs.
• Make the onion sauce: When the onions are ready, turn off the heat and carefully stir in 1 cup of water. The water should turn brown immediately. Nestle the lamb meatballs into the onion sauce, and, using a spoon, scoop some of the onions on top. 
• Bake the meatballs: Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake on the center rack until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 25 to 30 minutes. I like to occasionally baste the meatballs with the onion sauce while they bake.
• Serve: Spoon the meatballs, onions, and sauce over hummus, Basmati Rice or Rice with Vermicelli. Enjoy! 

3 Tips for How to Caramelize Onions

In this meatball recipe, the sauce is made with just three ingredients: onions, water, and salt. Drawing out the natural sweetness of the onions without burning them is the trick to making a luxuriously rich, flavorful sauce. Here are my tips and tricks for how to caramelize onions the easy way: 

• Try your best to slice the onions evenly: This will stop the little onion slices from cooking too quickly. 
• Control the heat: If you want deeply caramelized, jammy onions and have the time, cook the onions over low heat with oil for a few hours. Here, we speed up the process with medium to medium-high heat to get that nice caramelized flavor while keeping just a bit of their texture. Just make sure to keep a close eye on the onions: if they start to burn, lower the temperature.  
• Add a healthy 5-finger pinch of salt: Salt draws out the water from the onions. This allows the sugars to caramelize.

What to Serve with Lamb Meatballs 

I make these meatballs for busy weeknights, but it’s also a great recipe to scale up for company. To make this weekend ready, ask friends or family to help shape the meatballs. Cooking is an experience meant to be shared with others! Once the meatballs are baking away in the oven assemble the side dishes.

• Salads: Keep things simple with a vibrant Greek Salad or opt for one of my favorite Middle Eastern chickpea salads, Balela.
• Hummus topped with pickled red onion, and some freshly baked pita is always a welcome addition.
• If I want something starchy, rice is a good pairing, but so is Batata Harra, a Middle Eastern spicy potato salad.

If I’m feeling fancy, I might add some Stuffed Grape Leaves and a pitcher drink like Red Wine Sangria. That way, guests can nibble and pour themselves a drink and I can visit and tend to the main meal.

More Lamb Recipes

If you like my lamb meatballs, you might want to try a few other ways to cook lamb. Who knows, one version might become your family’s favorite.

• Easy Moroccan Lamb Stew
• Mediterranean Style Roasted Leg of Lamb
• Roasted Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs
• Kleftiko (Greek Lamb in Parchment)
• Lamb Kababs
• Lamb Burger

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Juicy Lamb Meatballs with Caramelized Onions

This sweet and savory flavor combination will have your family coming back for seconds every time. The lamb meatballs are seasoned with baharat, a Middle Eastern spice blend then finished in a caramelized onion sauce. Serve over rice, hummus or vermicelli.

Course Entree

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 24 meatballs

Calories 112.7kcal

Author Suzy Karadsheh

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium yellow onions, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
• 1 small yellow onion, grated
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baharat
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Black pepper

Instructions

• Heat your oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Caramelize the sliced onions: In a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once it shimmers. Add the sliced onion rings and season with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have fully softened and turned a deep golden brown, 20-30 minutes.
• Make the meatballs: While the onions are cooking, combine the grated onion, lamb, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, garlic, Baharat, and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. Add a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and mix to combine. Take handfuls of the meat mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) and form them into meatballs. You should end up with about 18-20 meatballs.
• Make the onion sauce: When the onions are ready, turn off the heat and carefully stir in 1 cup of water. The water should turn brown immediately. Nestle the lamb meatballs into the onion sauce, and using a spoon, scoop some of the onions on top.
• Bake the meatballs: Transfer the pan to the oven to bake on the center rack until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 25 to 30 minutes. I like to occasionally baste the meatballs with the onion sauce while they bake.
• Serve: Spoon the meatballs, onions, and sauce over Basmati Rice or Rice with Vermicelli. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Gently caramelizing onions is very important for the flavor of your sauce: keep a close eye, stir, and, if needed, adjust the heat to ensure they don’t burn.
• If you’d like to test the salt level of your meat before forming and cooking all of the meatballs, you can quickly pan-fry a mini meatball in a small amount of olive oil until cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
• The egg does the trick here to ensure the meatballs hold well, but if you’d like some extra security you can knead the meatball mixture with your hands for a few minutes to further develop the proteins and make the mixture more cohesive.
• Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.

Nutrition

Calories: 112.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 8.7g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 27.5mg | Sodium: 31.9mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.9g | Vitamin A: 110.3IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 14.7mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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Why This is the Only Salmon Salad Recipe I Make!

Most salmon salad recipes I have come across lack texture and are drowning in mayonnaise. I’ll just come out and confess this right now, I do not like the taste of mayo! Still, l want to enjoy a little creaminess. Enter Greek yogurt! 

For my no-mayo salmon salad recipe, I combine Greek yogurt with Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and a generous drizzle of olive oil to get a creamy salmon salad dressing with a nice zing to it! So much flavor and just the right amount of indulgence.

I then layer the flavors with texture from crunchy veggies like carrots, celery, and green onions. Capers bring a subtle brininess, and a handful of parsley adds color and freshness. When I served this to my family, my husband Saba blurted out, “I am not sure I ever tasted a salmon salad like this one! What’s in it?” He’s not much for flattery, so I knew this healthy salmon salad was a winner. 

If you love my salmon salad, try my Mediterranean Tuna Salad or Chickpea Salad.

Pro-Tip for Making Salmon Salad

You know when you buy a large salmon filet, and you know that if you bake the whole thing, you will inevitably end up with an overcooked tail by the time the center cut is at medium temp?

• Here is what you do: Cut the skinnier tail part off and save it in the freezer for this salmon salad! You won’t be disappointed.

Salmon Salad Recipe Ingredients

For the Salmon Salad 

• Salmon filet: I used the tail end, but like with our Salmon Caesar Salad you can use any cut you like.
• Vegetables: Green onions (aka scallions) add sweet and savory depth of flavor. You can substitute with another mild allium like chives, shallot, or red onion. Celery and carrot add crunch and a refreshing quality. You can substitute with green bell pepper if you’d like. 
• Capers add a briny quality to balance the richness of the fish. Other pickles will work, like pickled red onions or chopped cornichons. 
• Parsley adds a crucial freshness. I wouldn’t try to substitute with dried herbs, but other tender green herbs would work, like dill or cilantro. 
• Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the flavor. 

For the Dressing

• Greek yogurt adds tang, creaminess, and a nice protein boost. It’s the same trick I use to make a creamy Chicken and Chickpea Salad without the mayo.  
• Dijon mustard adds a punchy peppery quality. Stone-ground or smooth both work, depending on your preference. 
• Fresh lemon juice lifts the flavor, but lime just works in its place. 
• Extra virgin olive oil ties the dressing together and adds a lot of flavor. I love our peppery Spanish Hojiblanca for a bolder approach, or our smooth Italian Nocellara for a more delicate oil. 
• Ground coriander adds a warming aromatic quality. Cumin works as a substitute (or stock up at our shop). 
• Sumac adds a bright, tart layer of flavor. You can leave it off, use lemon zest as a substitute, or stock up at our online shop. 
• Urfa Biber adds a layer of mild yet complex heat.

How to Make this Salmon Salad Recipe 

The salmon is baked in this recipe, so it’s extra easy to make and virtually impossible to mess up. Here are the steps: 

• Get ready. Set a rack near the center of your oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the salmon in one layer.
• Prepare the salmon. Season the salmon (10 ounces) with salt and pepper on both sides and place on the prepared baking dish.
• Bake the salmon. Bake on the center rack of the heated oven for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness. It should turn opaque pink and easily flake with your fork. 
• Make the dressing. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, and the juice of 1 lemon. While whisking, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of coriander, sumac, and Urfa biber. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk, taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking.  
• Make the salad. Flake the salmon with your fork and add it to the bowl with the dressing. Add 2-3 trimmed and chopped green onions, 2 chopped celery stalks, 1 chopped carrot, 2 tablespoons capers, and 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley. Gently mix until well combined. 
• Chill and serve. Set in your refrigerator for a few minutes to chill, then serve (see serving suggestions below). Leftovers will keep for up to a day in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. 

Salmon Salad FAQs

What is the best cut of salmon for salad

I try to make the most of everything I buy and let nothing go to waste. I cook salmon a lot in my house and often buy whole filets because it’s more affordable, but the tail end is thinner than the center. So I remove the thinner tail end and freeze it to cook at a later date and make this salad.

What temperature should salmon be cooked to?

The USDA recommends cooking salmon to 145°F, but I like to pull my salmon out when it reaches 140°F, then let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. During the rest time, the “carry over cooking” will bring the salmon up to 145°F.

What are the best substitutes for Urfa Biber and Sumac?

If you don’t have Urfa Biber, Aleppo pepper or standard red chili flakes are the best substitute, but keep in mind these will be hotter, and they lack the smokiness that Urfa Biber contributes to the recipe.

For Sumac, the best replacement is 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

• Both of these spices add that little something extra to this recipe, but if push comes to shove you can leave them off. However, if you’re ready to level up your flavor game, they are worth exploring.

How to make salmon salad creamy without mayo?

It’s no secret to anyone that I’m not a fan of mayo. I replace it with Greek yogurt or labneh any chance I get. Yogurt has probiotics, is high in protein, and lower in calories. Plus, I like that refreshing tanginess it brings to recipes. In this recipe, I use a combination of Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and extra virgin olive oil to create a zesty flavor-packed dressing.

What to Serve with Salmon Salad

This salmon salad recipe can take many different paths. Here are some ideas:

• Stuff it in your favorite flatbread, like Homemade Pita.
• Pile it on toasted slices of homemade baguette.
• For a low-carb, gluten-free option, serve it in lettuce wraps or cups (I like butter lettuce.)
• As an appetizer with pita chips or crostini (it will serve up to 8 people this way.)

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Salmon Salad with Fresh Vegetables, Parsley, and Capers

This easy salmon salad recipe swaps mayo for tangy Greek yogurt and Mediterranean flavor-makers like capers, spices, and fresh herbs. Serve on crostini as an appetizer or with lettuce cups for a healthy gluten-free dinner.

Course Entree/Salad

Cuisine American/Mediterranean

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 to 8, as an appetizer, 4 as a main

Calories 160.4kcal

Author Suzy Karadsheh

Ingredients

For the Salmon Salad

• 10 ounces salmon filet (I used the tail end, but you can use any cut you like)
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 to 3 green onions, trimmed and chopped (both white and green parts)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the Dressing

• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional, or substitute lemon zest)
• 1/2 teaspoon Urfa biber (optional, or substitute red pepper flakes)
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

Serving Suggestions

• Over toast toasted baguette, or crostini
• Lettuce wraps or cups I like butter lettuce

Instructions

• Get ready. Set a rack near the center of your oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the salmon in one layer.
• Bake the salmon. Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides and place on the prepared baking dish. Bake on the center rack of the heated oven anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness. It should turn opaque pink and easily flake with your fork.
• Make the dressing. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil. Season with coriander, sumac, Urfa biber, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
• Make the salad. Flake the salmon with your fork and add it to the bowl with the dressing. Add the green onions, celery, carrot, capers, and fresh parsley. Gently mix until well combined.
• Chill and serve. Set in your refrigerator for a few minutes to chill, then serve (see serving suggestions). Leftovers will keep for up to day in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.

Video

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, coriander, sumac, and Urfa biber used in this recipe.
• The sumac and Urfa biber are optional, and the recipe will work without them. But if you make the effort to use them, you will love the nuance they add!
• What temperature to cook salmon? The USDA recommends fish be served when it’s internal temp reaches 145°F, but I like to take it out of the oven around 140°F because it will continue to cook as it rests. If you don’t have a thermometer, stick your fork in the thickest part of the fish and pull backwards. It should easily flake without showing resistance. 

Nutrition

Calories: 160.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.2g | Protein: 10.4g | Fat: 12.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.6g | Cholesterol: 26.3mg | Sodium: 126.8mg | Potassium: 313.6mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 0.9g | Vitamin A: 2192.4IU | Vitamin C: 8.8mg | Calcium: 28.9mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Urfa Biber

Smoky with a deep wine-like flavor and a subtle kick. Stock up on this unique Turkish spice at our shop.

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The post Salmon Salad with Fresh Vegetables, Parsley, and Capers appeared first on The Mediterranean Dish.

Choose the Right Beans

• Use: Dried Skinless Split Fava (Broad) Beans: These are fava beans that have been removed from their pods, then removed from their outer shells, split, and dried. They typically have a yellow (not brown) color. Look for the words “double hulled” on the package. 
• Don’t Use: Dried Whole Fava Beans: While you can make bissara from these, I don’t recommend it! They take about 2 days to soak, and then you’d have to remove the outer shells, which isn’t an easy feat. It would take too long, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone! It’s easier to use an alternative. 

Perfect Pairings

Bissara can be served warm or cold, as a starter or a light meal, and it is usually eaten with some traditional Egyptian flatbreads.

• These easy homemade pita breads would work perfectly. 
• Take it up a notch and use this homemade ciabatta garlic bread as the bread to dip with for extra indulgence 
• Serve alongside some muhamarra (roasted red pepper dip) and pumpkin hummus for a colorful vegan dip platter.  

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Fava Bean Dip (Egyptian Bissara)

Bissara is an Egyptian fava bean dip that’s all about fresh green herbs. It’s beautifully herbaceous and spicy, and naturally vegan! Makes sure to get split dried fava beans for this recipe (or use any dried white bean instead). I recommend weighing the herbs by weight!

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Egyptian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Soaking Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 75.5kcal

Author Mary Fawzy

Equipment

• Immersion Blender

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups dried split fava beans or dried white beans (8 ounces)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 cups water, plus more if needed
• 1 packed cup fresh dill fronds and tender stems (1 ounce)
• 1 packed cup fresh parsley leaves and tender stems (1 ounce)
• 1 packed cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (1 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)

Instructions

• Get ready. Soak dried split fava beans in water overnight. Before you start cooking them, discard the soaking water and give them a quick rinse.
• Simmer the beans. In a medium pot, add the rinsed fava beans, onion, and garlic along with water. Add additional water to cover the beans, if necessary. Bring to a boil on high heat, and then turn down to low to medium heat to simmer for about 12 minutes. Test a bean at this point, it should be “al dente” soft with a little bit of bite. If they’re not, keep simmering (and checking them) for a few more minutes until tender.
• Throw in the herbs. Add all of the fresh herbs into the pot, stir, and let simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Blend and season. Using an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients in the pot together until you have a thick, pureed mixture of uniform consistency. Add the salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and give it a taste. Adjust seasonings to your preference.
• Brown the shallot. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan on medium heat. Slowly sauté the shallot until browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
• Finish and serve. Finally pour the dip into a serving dish. Sprinkle the chile flakes onto the surface. Add the browned shallots and serve warm, or leave to cool to your desired temperature.

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and Aleppo pepper used in this recipe.

• I recommend measuring the fresh herbs for this recipe by weight!
• Storage: Leftover bissara can be refrigerated, in an airtight container, for 3 or 4 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 75.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.1g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 7.1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.1g | Sodium: 398.2mg | Potassium: 55.3mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 1.1g | Vitamin A: 89.1IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 14.3mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The post Egyptian Fava Bean Dip (Bissara) appeared first on The Mediterranean Dish.